RTI
About:
- The RTI Act mandates that information about citizens be made available right away by both Union and State Public Authorities. It aims to empower citizens while enhancing accountability and transparency. The Act mandates that specific organisational and operational data be made available to the public by public entities. This covers a number of subjects, such as (a) Organizational disclosure; (b) Functions and structure; (c) Officer and employee powers and responsibilities; (d) Financial information; and (e) Decision-making process, including channels for monitoring and responsibility.
Which purpose does the RTI Act serve?
- In the past 17 years, it has helped expose a number of significant frauds as a tool against corruption. RTI has committed numerous large frauds, including those involving the Adarsh Society, 2G, the Commonwealth Games, and the Indian Red Cross Society. Due to the effectiveness of the Act, it was ranked fourth for comparable empowering laws in 2016 among 111 countries.
- The power of the people’s voice has increased as a result of giving ordinary people the courage and freedom to oppose governmental authorities. People now have more ability to fight corruption and ensure that the government is transparent and responsible thanks to the RTI Act.
- Improved Democracy: The Act makes it easy for anybody to request information from public entities. However, government organisations are required to give the applicants the pertinent data (with certain exceptions). Public involvement has thereby enhanced democracy.
- A significant amount of information must be made available to the public in accordance with the Act’s regulations. honesty and responsibility. Every agency of the government is represented in the RTI, together with a small number of organisations that receives significant financing from the government. A new era of accountability and transparency has now begun.
How well-performing is the RTI Act right now?
- Less than 3% of Indian citizens have ever submitted an RTI request, despite estimates that between 40 and 60 lakh are made each year.
- The Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SSN) and the Centre for Equity Studies published a “Report Card of Information Commissions in India, 2018-19.” (CES). Less than 45% of the revealed applications had the necessary information. Among the 55% of people who did not receive the information, less than 10% also appealed.
- According to data from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the number of RTI requests sent to various Union Government offices increased by 83% between 2012–13 and 2018–19, from 8.86 lakh to 16.30 lakh. However, from 21,204 to 24,048, the number of CPIOs required to handle them only climbed by roughly 13%. More crucially, there was a dramatic reduction in the amount of data that Ministries and Departments had to provide to the CIC.
- 56 lakh petitions were still pending with 26 information commissions nationwide as of June 30, 2021. According to the Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) 2021 report, Odisha presently takes 6 years, 8 months to conclude a case.
What problems impede the RTI Act’s proper operation?
- RTI protesters threatening: 99 RTI activists have perished in India since 2006 as a result of 187 threats, 180 attacks, and other occurrences, according to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. (CHRI). Despite receiving praise from the general public, the RTI system’s two main adversaries are the bureaucracy and parliamentarians. The most recent instance occurred in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, in June 2022, when a contractor was killed for asking too many questions about the public works department. According to the local police, an overwhelming number of RTI requests regarding the condition of the roads offended many interested parties and officials.
